HELP: Nikon D7000 Best focus settings for quick moving sports

Pegasus_Thrust

Pegasus_Thrust

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Hi,

I've been down to my local rugby club over a few weekends recently capturing some action with a 70-200 2.8. I've moved away from the "spraying and praying" method of getting a decent shot and instead I am trying to use the various focus settings to get a better hit rate...... but if I'm honest the hit rate hasn't improved.

Firstly I was spraying and praying with AF-S set to full auto/all focus point..... but whilst I got a decent few I'd be binning off a dozen to get them
Secondly I went with AF-C set to 3D tracking.... and again I got some results but it was still hit and miss and with me being a touched more selective with the shutter I was getting less than with the above and where I thought it would focus it wasn't once the subject had moved- if anything from what I'd read about this mode it really didn't do what it said on the tin.
Then this Saturday I used AF-C with a 9 point focus thinking this would be a bit more precision re: composition but once it'd caught hold of what I wanted it to focus on it would stay and continuously refocus for at least another few exposures...... but I was getting a big hit and miss with the initial focus and it very quickly lost it.

Incidentally I was checking my images on the view finder as and when but was unable ascertain sharpness due to the resolution and for what it matters I was positioned hand held at the end of the pitch with players running towards me.

Any ideas anyone?
 
What f stop are you using? Below f4 might be too much of a challenge with a very narrow area in focus
Try single spot focus on manual and wait until the action is in the middle of your viewfinder,, oh and practice, practice, practice
 
I started at 2.8 but I think I did increase it but maybe not beyond 4- I will try a higher f-stop as that makes sense.

I did think about using single spot but I just thought I would be have to be extremely accurate at distance hence I went for a few more just incase points. When you say manual though, which manual do you mean?

.....oh and yes, it is all practice, I don't even really shoot sports I just enjoy doing so and am trying to get the best out of the camera.
 
Manual set up on the camera. Set the ISO, f stop and speed yourself, don't go down the route of using shutter priority or any of the other modes
 
go into your settings and set auto focus priority to focus..... not focus and release you'll get a better hit rate menu a1af/c and use matrix metering the focus points should follow a moving object practice on birds flying across your view cheers mike
 
Thank you both- I was in manual cornishboy so at least I got that part right.

I will adjust the auto focus priority too, thank you Mike- just to clarify though what focus setting would be best to work with that- I am presuming AF-C but then what re: the amount of focus points?
 
cornishboy said:
Manual set up on the camera. Set the ISO, f stop and speed yourself, don't go down the route of using shutter priority or any of the other modes
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If you take this advice.. hope for either a nice clear day or an overcast day.. something with constant light... otherwise totally ignore the above :)
 
one focus point. auto focus... if your camera allows you to set the back button for focus then that will increase your keeper rate
 
Here we go again, i just love these threads for the WRONG advice some folk give

Focus mode = AF-C for continuous tracking

Select centre focus point as active

AF Area mode = Dynamic 9 or Dynamic 21, this is if your subject moves away from the centre focus point any one of 9 or 21 focus points will take over the tracking, 9 is best as they are of the more sensitive "cross type" this acts like selecting "expansion" points on the Canons

Select "CH" on top dial for continuous high speed fps

Matrix metering, spot metering is TOO accurate and tends to over expose, has its uses but only in extreme shadow/sunny conditions where players are in shade but background is strongly lit

Use either Manual or Aperture priority, full manual control will only really work under controlled lighting conditions, get a cloud coming over and you will need to be quick fingered to reset your settings and chances are you will then miss the action, AV is good and you just need to keep an eys on your ISO in the viewfinder and change on the fly

Manual or AV is best but works even better if you use the auto ISO feature, you dial in your aperture and a pre defined minimum shutter speed, if the light drops your ISO increases automatically and your shutter speed stays the same, if the light increases your ISO drops and your shutter speed increases

Go and practice

Dont expect miracles, it's taken me years of practice to be as bad as i am.
 
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Thanks Gary it's all practice I just want to make sure I am barking up the right tree.
Pretty much what you'd described is how I had it last set: AF-C, 9 dynamic, Matrix and I was in Manual but I had auto-iso set so it compensated for cloud coverage. Would you agree on the f-stop aspect though?.... I reckon I might have shot myself in the foot a bit using to wide an aperture.
 
f/2.8 or a max of f/4, dont forget youre shooting a crop camera which has a larger perceived DOF than a full frame camera, in all honesty i would shoot f/2.8 with a crop camera for field sports as you want to isolate your subject, more so on public fields etc, etc than in pro stadiums
 
Gary Coyle said:
you want to isolate your subject, more so on public fields etc, etc than in pro stadiums
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pro stadium f2.8 for isolation.. but dont understand moreso for public fields?.. I would ahve thought less so.. 90% of public fields sports I do and the backgrounds like half a mile away so even at f4 which gives a better hit rate your still well isolated..
 
Thanks both. I did initially start at 2.8 so I could keep the shutter quick and the iso down but then I did move it up a bit.

Gary, in which case my method could be to blame perhaps? as I pretty much had it set up as you suggest. Generally I was through the view finder following the play, intermittently half pressing to get it to focus just in case (or so I thought) may be taking the occasional shot but then when a player would break or something interesting would happen I would focus and hold the shutter in to fire continuously, hoping the initial focus compensate a small amount via the "continuous" setting............. anything wrong with that method do you think?...... your thoughts and advice are very appreciated.
 
KIPAX said:
pro stadium f2.8 for isolation.. but dont understand moreso for public fields?.. I would ahve thought less so.. 90% of public fields sports I do and the backgrounds like half a mile away so even at f4 which gives a better hit rate your still well isolated..
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Was meaning to get the parked cars and fences out of focus, dont forget you live in the back of beyond mate where theres more room on park grounds, you yourself say background is half a mile away, where i live you can have a house within 10 metres of pitchside, cars parked, another game on an ajoining field less than 5 metres between different pitches, etc, etc.
 
Pegasus_Thrust said:
Gary ---- 8< -------- anything wrong with that method do you think?...... your thoughts and advice are very appreciated.
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well I know the answer but you seem to be asking gary ... maybe you should move to PM if you only want his advice... you did start with gary...

the answer to the above as gary will tell you and i already mentioned it... BBF
 
Apologies KIPAX, I was happy for either of you to respond really- I was responding to Gary following his previous advice re: set-up that was the only reason I addressed it "Gary"- by all means feel free to help...... and I did read your comment about back button focusing which is something to try re: set-up but I was aiming my last question at my physical method- or would that make that much of a difference as it seems to lose focus when I'm in continuous so (IMO) the focus is already in place regardless of whether it's via the shutter or BBF.
 
No need to intermitently half press, just keep it half pressed and youre always ready, its sods law when youre just releasing from a half press something will happen and you lost the moment

Im not 100% sure the BBF works on the D7000 like on other bodies, ie, not sure it seperates focus from exposure, you would need to check the manual but if it does then use it like KIPAX says, your keeper rate will go up

I dont practice what i preach any longer due to slight arthritis in my thumb which hurts if i use BBF method

I think you need to be patient above all, youre shooting with a consumer body but expecting pro results, even with favourable conditions the D7000 isnt the best, which 70-200mm do you have, that can make all the difference as well.

Spend more time watching the game, i always say the best pros understand the sport their shooting and have a knack of anticipating where the action will be in a second or so and not just where it is "now"

Get down low to shoot, even badly composed images look much better from a low angle

KIPAX (Tony) is a seasoned pro, listen and learn, neither of us will put you wrong.

Can you post up some samples for us to chew over, in the mean time take a look at http://www.gcsportsphotos.co.uk to pick up some ideas, even the frontpage slideshow will help, also take a look at http://www.kipax.com as Tony cover a more varied selection of sports than i do
 
Thank you. I think I can program another button to be the AF-ON function so I will give it a whirl and see what happens.
 
D7000 can be programmed to use the back button focus, just upgraded to this from D50 also using auto iso on user setting 1 with 9 point af
 
To add to this discussion I seemed to be having focus issues with my 70-300 lens that was fine on my D50 and after doing some reading online found the AF fine tune on the D7000 could help tried at -3 and then -10 seem to be spot on and it helped a lot, my 50mm prime was fine so no change there still to test my 18-70
 
mojorisin said:
To add to this discussion I seemed to be having focus issues with my 70-300 lens that was fine on my D50 and after doing some reading online found the AF fine tune on the D7000 could help tried at -3 and then -10 seem to be spot on and it helped a lot, my 50mm prime was fine so no change there still to test my 18-70
Click to expand...

I found the exact using the D7000, different lenses but they were pretty much all back focusing to a necessary adjustment between -3 & -12!
 
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